Method of mounting a roof rack on a vehicle having a removable roof

ABSTRACT

A vehicle including a passenger compartment having a roof support framework including a pair of roof rails, a header and at least one roof bow. A roof including several rigid removable roof panels is removably assembled to the roof support framework. Pins are removably assembled to the roof rails or to brackets attached to the roof rails that extend through the roof panels. A roof rack or cargo carrier is removably attached to upper ends of the pins and is spaced above the roof panels. A method of assembling a roof rack to a vehicle is also disclosed.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/951,803filed Apr. 12, 2018, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated inits entirety by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to vehicles having a roof formed by removablepanels that may be outfitted with a roof rack.

BACKGROUND

Sport utility vehicles may be equipped with a removable roof thatfunctions to cover the passenger compartment and may also be removed toprovide an open-air driving experience. Removable roofs may be one-pieceshells, or may have panels made of textile materials or rigid panelsthat are attached to roof rails and roof bows.

Roof racks are commonly provided on sport utility vehicles that have ahardtop roof. A roof rack provides added cargo carrying capability forthe vehicle above the passenger compartment.

Roof racks are not normally provided on sport utility vehicles that havea removable roof because the roof rack interferes with removal andinstallation of the removable roof. While one-piece removable roof maybe provided with a roof rack, when the roof shell is removed the roofrack must also be removed and stored. Roof racks must be assembled tothe roof of a vehicle in such a way as to avoid water leakage and windnoise. Roof racks are generally not designed to be selectively removablebut are normally permanently assembled to the roof and remain attachedto the roof and increase drag even if nothing is being carried on theroof rack.

This disclosure is directed to solving the above problems relating toproviding a removable roof rack on a vehicle having a roof formed by aplurality of rigid removable roof panels as summarized below.

SUMMARY

According to one aspect of this disclosure, a vehicle is disclosed thatincludes a passenger compartment having a roof support frameworkincluding a pair of roof rails. A roof that includes several roof panelsis removably assembled to the roof support framework. A plurality ofpins are removably assembled to the roof rails to extend through theroof panels. A roof rack is removably attached to upper ends of the pinsabove the roof panels.

According to another aspect of this disclosure, a roof rack assembly isdisclosed for a vehicle having framework and plural removable roofpanels adapted to be assembled above the framework. The roof rackassembly comprises a cargo carrier and several support pins. The pinseach have an upper end that extends above the roof panels and areassembled to the framework. The cargo carrier is attached to the upperends of the pins.

The roof rails may define openings having an axis extending in avertical direction, and the pins may be assembled into the openings.

The pins may be provided with a shoulder at an intermediate location onthe pins that are adapted to close an opening defined by the roof panelswhen the roof panels are attached to the roof support framework.

The vehicle may further comprise a crush tube assembled inside each of aplurality of openings defined by the roof rails and assembled into theopenings. The pins may be secured to the roof rails by a threadedconnector attached to a lower end of the pins below the roof rail withthe roof rack being secured to the upper end of the pins by a threadedconnector.

The roof rack may be attached to the pins in a first mode with the roofpanels secured to the roof support framework. The roof rack may beattached to the pins in a second mode with the roof panels not beingsecured to the roof support framework.

The pins may have an intermediate portion, a top portion and a bottomportion. The top and bottom portions each may have threaded ends withthe intermediate portion having a larger diameter than the top andbottom portions.

The pins may be provided with a seal plug that is assembled to the pinswhere the top portion extends from the intermediate portion and areadapted to close an opening defined by the roof panels when the roofpanels are attached to the roof support framework.

The vehicle may further comprise several brackets attached to the roofrails with the brackets each defining an opening having an axisextending in a vertical direction so that the pins may be assembled intothe openings.

The roof support framework may include several pillars supporting a pairof roof rails, at least one transverse bow, and a windshield header.

The above aspects of this disclosure and other aspects will be describedbelow with reference to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sport utility vehicle having a roofformed by a plurality of removable rigid panels.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sport utility vehicle having aframework for supporting a roof formed by a plurality of removable rigidpanels with the rigid panels removed.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of a roof rack orcargo carrier and two support pins attached to a roof rail.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1 with thesupport pins and roof rack added to the cross-section.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-section of the roof panel with a sealingcap inserted into the support pin receiving hole.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-section of the roof panel with the sealingcap separated from the support pin receiving hole.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of an alternativeembodiment of the roof rack support pin received in a bracket attachedto a roof rail.

FIG. 8 is a cross section view of the embodiment of FIG. 7 shownassembled to the roof and supporting a roof rack or cargo carrier.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the embodiment ofFIG. 7 including roof panels and trim pieces for covering the bracketsadapted to be attached to the roof rails.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 7including roof panels and trim pieces attached to the roof rail with capplugs inserted in the trim pieces.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The illustrated embodiments are disclosed with reference to thedrawings. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodimentsare intended to be merely examples that may be embodied in various andalternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale and somefeatures may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particularcomponents. The specific structural and functional details disclosed arenot to be interpreted as limiting, but as a representative basis forteaching one skilled in the art how to practice the disclosed concepts.

Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle 10 is illustrated with a removable roof12 shown covering a passenger compartment 14. The roof includes a rightfront panel 16 and left front panel 18 an intermediate panel 20 and arear cap 22. The removable panels may be provided in a variety ofconfigurations. For example, the intermediate panel 20 could be split intwo like the front panels 16, 18 and the rear cap 22 could be a flatroof panel like the illustrated intermediate panel 20 or could be splitlike the front panels 16, 18.

Referring to FIG. 2, the vehicle shown in FIG. 1 is illustrated with theremovable roof panels 16, 18, 20, and 22 removed from the roof supportframework that comprises a pair of roof rails 26, a transverse bow, anda windshield header 30. While the illustrated embodiment has only oneroof bow 28, it should be understood that two or more roof bows could beprovided. The roof 12 is also supported by an A-pillar 32, a B-pillar34, and a C-pillar 36.

Referring to FIG. 3, A roof rack 40, or cargo carrier, is shown inposition to be assembled to two pins 42 to the roof rail 26. The pinsinclude an upper end 46, an intermediate portion 48, shoulder ring 50,and a lower end 52. The intermediate portion 48 has a largercross-section that the upper end 46 and the lower end 52. The shoulderring 50 is assembled to the intermediate portion 48 but could also beformed integral to the pin 42.

The upper end 46 includes an externally threaded portion 54 thatreceives the nut 56 to secure the roof rack 40 to the pins 42. The lowerend 50 includes an externally threaded portion 58 that receives the nut60 to secure the pins 42 to the roof rail 26.

Referring to FIG. 4, the roof rack 40 is shown assembled to the roofpanel 20 and roof rail 26. The pin 42 is assembled to the roof rail 26through the opening 44 and is secured to the lower end 52 by the nut 60that is received on the threaded portion 58. The opening 44 has an axisextending in a vertical direction. A crush tube 64 is assembled into theopening 44 to prevent distortion of the roof rail 26 when the roof rack40, and roof panel 20 are tightened on the pins 42 pins. The roof panelsare supported on the roof rails 26 on roof panel supports 62 that may berelatively rigid elastomeric members. The roof panel supports 62 arespaced from the pins 42 and hold the roof panels in place and dampenvibration. The roof panels are held in position by clamps (not shown)that clamp the panels to the roof rails.

Roof panel 20 is illustrated in FIG. 4 but the arrangement of the roofpanels 16, 18, and 22 are similar. The roof panel 20 is preassembled tothe roof panel support and assembled with the roof panel support 62 ontothe roof rail 26. The Pin 42 is installed through the opening 66 in theroof panel 20. A countersink 68 is provided in the roof panel 20 abovethe opening 66. The shoulder ring 50 may include a seal 70 that isreceived inside a casing 72. The seal 70 is an elastomeric memberprovided to assure a seal between the pin 42 and the roof panel 20.

The cargo carrier 40 is assembled onto the upper end 46 of the pin 42 ata spaced location above the roof panel 20. The nut 56 secures the cargocarrier to a shoulder 74 on the pin 42 formed where the upper end 46 ofthe pin 46 and the intermediate portion 48 meet. The roof rack or cargocarrier 40 may be any one of a variety of carriers including a kayakcarrier, a bicycle carrier and cargo box, or the like.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a cap plug 76 is shown installed in the roofpanel 20 in FIG. 5 and is shown removed from the roof panel 20 in FIG.6. The cap plug is used to fill the opening 66 when the pin 42 is notinstalled and the roof rack 40 is not needed. The cap plug 76 ispartially or fully received in the counter sink 68. The roof panel 20 isshown assembled on to the roof rail 26 with the roof panel support 62between the roof panel 20 and the roof rail 26. The cap plug is providedto close the opening 66 and may include a seal to prevent water leakage.

Referring to FIG. 7, an alternative embodiment of a roof rack mountingarrangement for a roof made up of removable rigid panels is illustratedthat uses pins 42 to support the roof rack 40. Reference numerals ofcomponents that are similar to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6 arecarried over in the description of FIGS. 7-10. A roof rail 80 isillustrated to which a bracket 82 is welded or otherwise permanentlysecured. The bracket defines an opening 84 that is adapted to receivethe pin 42. The pin 42 includes the upper end 46, intermediate portion48, shoulder ring 50, and a lower end 52 as previously described withreference to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6. The shoulder ring 50 isassembled to the intermediate portion 48 but could also be an integralpart of the pin 42.

Referring to FIG. 8, The pin 42 is shown supporting the roof rack 40above the roof panel 20. The upper end 56 of the pin 42 receives theroof panel 20 and is secured by the nut 56 to the threaded portion 54.The pin is assembled at the lower end 52 to the bracket 82 and extendsthrough the opening 84 defined by the bracket 80. The nut 60 is securedto the threaded portion 58 of the lower end 52 of the pin 42. The roofpanel 20 and roof panel support 62 are clamped to the roof rail 26 aspreviously described. The shoulder ring 50 seals between the pin 42 andthe roof panels 20 and is at least partially received in the countersink 68.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, another alternative embodiment is shownthat is similar to FIGS. 7 and 8 but includes roof panels that define anotch 86. The roof panels include a front left panel 88, an intermediatepanel 90 and a rear panel 92. Cover panels 94 are assembled into thenotches to cover the bracket 82 as described with reference to FIGS. 7and 8. The brackets 82 are welded to the roof rail 26. The pins 42 aresecured to the brackets 82 and are received in the openings 84 definedby the brackets 82 and are aligned with an axis extending in a verticaldirection. The pins extend through openings 96 defined by the trimpanels 94.

In FIG. 9 the pins 42 are shown ready to be installed to support theroof rack 40 as previously described. In FIG. 10 the roof panels 88, 90,and 92 are shown to be attached to the roof rail 26 without the pins 42for attaching the roof rack 40. The trim panels 94 are shown in thenotches 86 and the cap plugs are shown being received in the openings 96in the trim panels 94.

The roof rack mounting arrangements disclosed above facilitateassembling a roof rack 40 to the roof rails 26 of a vehicle 10 withremovable rigid roof panels (e.g. 20 or 90) installed or not installed.The cargo carrier 40 may be provided in an open air, or convertiblemode, or may be provided with the roof 12 covering the passengercompartment. The pins 42 may be removed from the roof panels andreplaced by the cap plugs 74 to allow the vehicle 10 to be converted toa vehicle with removable roof panels that does not include a cargocarrier or roof rack 40.

The embodiments described above are specific examples that do notdescribe all possible forms of the disclosure. The features of theillustrated embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments ofthe disclosed concepts. The words used in the specification are words ofdescription rather than limitation. The scope of the following claims isbroader than the specifically disclosed embodiments and includesmodifications of the illustrated embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of attaching a cargo carrier to avehicle that is equipped with removable roof panels comprising:attaching pins to a pair of roof rails that extend upwardly from theroof rails; and attaching the cargo carrier to upper ends of the pins,wherein the cargo carrier may be provided when the roof panels areassembled to the roof rails in a first mode and wherein the cargocarrier may be provided when the roof panels are not assembled to theroof rails in a second mode.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the roofrails define an opening for each of the pins and the step of attachingthe pins to the roof rails includes inserting one of the pins in each ofthe openings.
 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising: attachingseveral brackets each defining an opening to the roof rails and the stepof attaching the pins to the roof rails includes inserting one of thepins in each of the openings.